Poquoson Talented and Gifted Advisory Board

500 City Hall Avenue

Poquoson, Virginia 23662

September 23, 2008

Dr. Margaret N. Roberts / Office of Policy & Communications

State Board of Education

Post Office Box 2120

Richmond, VA 23218-2120

Dr. Mark Emblidge, Chairman

Virginia State Board of Education

413 Stuart Circle, Suite 130

Richmond, VA 23220

Dr. Billy K. Cannaday, Jr.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Virginia Department of Education

Post Office Box 2120

Richmond, VA 23218-2120

Dear Sirs and Madam:

I am writing you regarding the proposed changes to the Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students in Virginia.  I am Chair of the Poquoson Talented and Gifted Advisory Board appointed to advise the Poquoson School Board on issues involving the selection and teaching of our Talented and Gifted (TAG) children.  We have concerns with the proposed regulations, namely:

1. Please do not drop the requirement for a five year plan with peer review.  The state review of TAG plans is necessary for the gifted students of Virginia to receive quality and equitable instruction.  Long term goals need to be set on a multi-annual basis and annual planning is reactionary rather than anticipatory.

2. Reinstate the funding section so that it is clear that monies appropriated for gifted education are spent for the Board of Education approved local plan.

3. Setting broad areas areas for school divisions to identify TAG students (“…at a minimum, English history and social science, mathematics, and science”) not only sets up an unfunded mandate, but also broadens  the onus of identification across all possible subject areas, many of which have no viable student identification guidelines.

We note that the Virginia Association for the Gifted (VAG) has done a thorough line by line redress of the proposed regulations posted on the forum on 6/23/08 and that their recommended changes encompass the best of the current and proposed regulations.  As the membership of VAG consists of Virginia’s experts in TAG education and concerned parents, their comments are authoratative and thoughtful.  Please consider them carefully.

Sincerely,

Richard Byles, Ph.D.

Chairman, Poquoson Talented and Gifted Advisory Board